Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Wow! FALSE PRINCE by Jennifer A. Nielsen is a great read. Nielsen has developed a rich set of characters in FALSE PRINCE, especially in the protagonist named Sage, who truly comes alive in the reader’s mind with his mysterious depth and layers of complexity. As you peel back each layer of Sage’s intriguing personality, you find yourself rooting more and more not only for him to survive, but that he’ll turn the tables on his adversaries.

Coupled with the great character development, FALSE PRINCE takes the reader on an engaging adventure entwined with treachery, sword fights, deadly rivalries, royal secrets, and a daring plan to save a kingdom from civil war. Its delightful and surprising plot twists not only keep you guessing at the final outcome and cheering along the way, but leave you pondering on the story and its characters for weeks after. FALSE PRINCE is a prized selection you'll want to add to your list of middle-grade/YA books that boys will love. Oh, and girls will love it too.

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Finding books that will engage boys in the upper-elementary grades and junior high can be a challenge. I personally feel that book publishers publish too few books targeted specifically at boys in this age range. However, there are books available that can get boys interested in reading or simply keep current boy readers reading.

I recently asked a large group of librarians what recently published middle grade fiction they see boys reading with interest (i.e., books published within the past 5 years). By far the most frequently recommend books were Ranger’s Apprentice (series) by John Flanagan, Diary of a Wimpy Kid (series) by Jeff Kinney, and anything by Rick Riordan (Percy Jackson series and Kane Chronicles series).

Below are two lists I compiled from these librarians’ recommendations. The first list contains those books that received the most recommendations. The second list contains books that also came highly recommended.

Friday, July 20, 2012

When I asked a large group of librarians for suggestions on middle-grade books that would appeal to boys, one of the most recommended books was the RANGER’S APPRENTICE series by John Flanagan. In fact, one librarian said, “The books (RANGER’S APPRENTICE) fly off my shelf.”

So, the other day I read the first book in the series, THE RUINS OF GORLAN. As expected, RANGER’S APPRENTICE is full of adventure that will engage boy readers (and girls too) from ages 10 and up. But what I believe makes this book rise way above your typical adventure is the way Flanagan takes the readers deep inside the emotions of the main characters. Not only do the characters go on wild adventures that any boy would dream of, but it lets the readers feel and see how the two main boys in the book deal with boyhood trials common to today’s youth, including bullying, feuding friends, and acceptance by others. While I loved the action and adventure, its Flanagan’s focus on the trials and hardships of youthful relationships that makes RANGER’S APPRENTICE: THE RUINS OF GORLAN so exceptional.